The February 16 episode of WWE RAW in Memphis brought a massive surprise on the road to Elimination Chamber by bringing back a Judgement Day member after about three months of absence.
Elimination Chamber is set for February 28, and Finn Bálor is scheduled to face CM Punk in Chicago. Now, Bálor won’t be going into Punk’s hometown alone.
Judgment Day Member Makes Comeback on WWE RAW
JD McDonagh officially returned and rejoined The Judgment Day on Monday night.
Earlier in the evening, there were reports that McDonagh had been seen backstage. WWE quickly turned that into a moment on the show. During a heated promo, CM Punk called out Bálor and brought up how their last fallout left a bad taste in his mouth. Punk blamed Bálor for ruining it and promised to beat him at Elimination Chamber.
That’s when Bálor came out, joined by Dominik Mysterio and the returning McDonagh. The three came face-to-face with Punk in the ring. Fans expected a fight, but Bálor said they weren’t there to brawl.
Instead, he talked about his career and his training background and even reminded Punk that he beat Roman Reigns on his first night on RAW. Bálor said he would beat CM Punk in the ring because “his head’s so big.” The WWE World Heavyweight Champion even dared them to attack him. However, Bálor held Dominik and McDonagh back.
JD McDonagh is back! ? pic.twitter.com/WPq1reqhUq
— WWE (@WWE) February 17, 2026
McDonagh’s return was a massive deal. He has been out since mid-December 2025 after having surgery for multiple injuries.
Earlier in 2025, he suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs in a match against The War Raiders. His last match was a loss to Rey Mysterio in November 2025.
Now that JD McDonagh is back, Bálor has extra support heading into a major match at Elimination Chamber.
